ABC should’ve picked Tapper for Sunday

Commentary: Quality of TV news drops, says conscience of industry

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — When Larry Kane talks about television news, I listen. You should, too.

Kane, a retired anchor in Philadelphia and New York and now an industry consultant, has strong views. He is equally outspoken about what he regards as the lamentable current state of network and local TV news in the United States.

I consider him to be the conscience of the industry, an old-school broadcaster who still values substance over flash. He laments the deterioration in the quality of TV news programs.

The veteran newsman shook his head when he pondered, for example, that ABC
DIS, -1.16%
picked Christiane Amanpour, who became the most famous foreign correspondent in the world while at CNN, to host “This Week,” ABC’s Sunday morning news-talk show.

Man robs banks for health care

A man with health problems and no insurance robs a bank to get thrown in jail and receive medical treatment. Video Courtesy of Reuters.

Kane suspects that ABC chose Amanpour largely because the network believed she had the kind of fame, through her stellar career as a CNN foreign correspondent, that could attract viewers even though she was largely unrecognized as an expert in the rough-and-tumble Washington political scene.

ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper was Kane’s choice.

“Tapper would be a spectacular anchor man,” said Kane “He has knowledge — and in this business, knowledge is power. Tapper has an ability to engage the audience with his eyes and style.”

Kane added:

ABC

Jake Tapper would have been the perfect host for ABC’s “This Week,” says Larry Kane.

“There was no reason to hire Christiane instead of Tapper. He is a better host. He is a good listener. if you want to be great in network news, you’ve got to listen. That’s one of the things that made Tim Russert great. He could ask hard-hitting questions without sounding mean.”

Mind you, Kane is no Amanpour-basher. “Christiane is a great correspondent and a fabulous reporter. Sitting down and being able to do a great live interview about domestic issues. I’d want her on my team any time — as a reporter.”

Kane is particularly concerned with the prospects for local TV news programs. The audience numbers have declined and stations are feeling the pinch of both the web and such specialized vehicles as NY1 in New York City.

Owned by Time Warner
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NY1 is a cable channel that reports on life in the five boroughs by covering politics, lifestyle, sports, entertainment and cultural developments.

For instance, when Rep. Anthony Weiner comes under fire for inappropriate conduct or a local sports team wins a championship, NY1 becomes automatic “destination viewing” for many residents of New York City because the station offers sustained, comprehensive analysis.

Kane has seen local news from all angles.

Before he started anchoring, he was a TV reporter and even became a confidante of John Lennon when Kane reported on the Beatles’ U.S. tours in the 1960s. Kane has even written a new novel called “Death by Deadline,” which he describes as a “murder mystery and centered in the heart of local TV newsroom. The yarn poses the question: “Can local TV news kill people, and the answer is yes,” he said.

The biggest problem that local news stations have today is proving that they are still relevant, he says. TV stations invariably present “the formula” of crime stories throughout their 30-minute broadcasts.

The stations also have a tendency to hype certain news stories. “It even happens in the weather reports,” Kane groans. “Sometimes, you would think there is a storm coming when it’s only going to be a half-inch of rain.”

The audience for TV news shows is declining across the board and it’s highly doubtful that the disaffected members of the public, who’d rather read headlines on the web and watch “The Colbert Report,” are ever coming back.

“Local stations especially are fighting for a bigger piece of a smaller pie now,” Kane pointed out. “I can assure you that (local) TV news will go away, for good, on some channels” because station owners can make more money showing alternate programming. Kane says the drop in viewers is the stations’ fault.

“Why aren’t they talking about stories that viewers care about — the local politics, the quality of education, children’s safety, property taxes and transportation? That is what’s not being covered in local news, and it sticks in my throat.”

MEDIA WEB QUESTION OF THE DAY: What do you hate about the way TV shows report on the local news in your city?

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